


Life Lessons With Joshua

by crOwnlEssG



Series: Notes Tied to Balloons [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angel Family, Angel Siblings, Angelic Family, Angelic Siblings, Angels, Brothers, Cas and cats, Cas and kittens, Castiel's childhood, Castiel's fledglinghood, Cats, Childhood, Collection of stories, Family, Fledglinghood, Fledglings, Fluff, Gen, Heaven, KITTEHS, Kittens, Life Lessons, Life Lessons with Joshua, Mini-story, Notes Tied to Balloons, NttB, Pre-Series, Series: Notes Tied to Balloons, The Garden, Three chapters, second story, stories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-28
Updated: 2013-03-28
Packaged: 2017-12-06 18:26:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/738747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crOwnlEssG/pseuds/crOwnlEssG
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As a fledgling, Castiel had a very big, very interesting family. Each story will stand on its own and will consist of three chapters. Second story's up: Joshua gives Castiel a "break" from his studies by introducing him to unusually furry company.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part I

  
_It's all the same, only the names will change_   
_Everyday it seems we're wasting away_   
_Another place where the faces are so cold_   
_I'd drive all night just to get back home_   


_._

_Wanted Dead or Alive – Bon Jovi_

 

* * *

Castiel longingly watched his siblings race one another who, unlike him, were not inside the Library and had already finished their Tests. It was required for every fledgling to take the Test if they ever wished to be assigned a full purpose, and finding a place and playing an official part in the Host were the point of their creation. The Test would vary for each fledgling, in order to ensure that there would not be any ideas or techniques copied from the others. If the result of a Test was a failure, the unlucky fledgling would have to wait seven hundred Earth-years before they could take it again.

Castiel refused to wait that long. He will not let himself fail.

Nevertheless, the days were beginning to be more and more discouraging. Almost everyone had completed their Test and passed; a few had failed but at least the long wait for them was finally over. Castiel wondered if he was ever going to be summoned to take his. Some of his siblings had told him to just be patient and be thankful that he was being given a lot of time to prepare; others had joked to him that the superiors had forgotten about him because he was so small. Castiel's wings ruffled at that comment - he was not small; everyone else was simply bigger than him.

He stared again through the multitude of windows of the Library, only to see that the number of his siblings racing each other had increased and had become more colorful. His wings twitched a little at the sight of them. He wanted to fly too, so badly, but until his Test was over there was not really much he could do right now other than accumulate knowledge. All around him were books, scrolls, records, tablets, diagrams and charts, and by this time he had gathered so much that they were all stacked to a height at least five times as big as he was. He needed to study, he had to be prepared for absolutely anything.

But it was so much harder doing this alone.

Most of his siblings had had company during their preparation. Now, however, those who were done were either currently too busy celebrating their success to take considerable notice of him or had already been given official assignments. Castiel was basically on his own, and with a final glance outside, he turned his back to the windows and focused on his studies once more.

As he perused through information after information, he started to wonder (and worry) what his Test could be. Uriel said that he had to burn a continually perfect hole through a thousand layers of tough rock _while_ answering the riddles of a dozen sphinxes around him, and for every riddle he had answered wrong, the hole in the rocks would fill up and he had to begin all over again. Balthazar said that his Test had involved finding his way out a maze practically as expansive as a planet, all the while avoiding detection from a creature full of eyes that was actually the maze itself.

He had heard more perilous and complicated stories from his other siblings, half of which he never wanted to ever experience if he could help it. Maybe he should craft some weapons to bring with him, just in case - but then Castiel did not know even the most basic thing about making weapons. There had to be something in the Library about making weapons; he supposed he could learn from there. However, there were only a few weapons fledglings were allowed to wield, and each fledgling was only permitted to carry one weapon. What if his Test called for a higher level of a weapon? What if the weapon he decided to make would prove useless for his Test? What if his Test did not require a weapon and he would just have wasted valuable time crafting it? What if the superiors had really forgotten about him? And what if...?

Castiel forced his chaotic thoughts to calm down. He was getting distracted. And he only got distracted when he was nervous. And he was only nervous when he did not know what to do. And that only happened whenever he was afraid to fail.

His mind was starting to ache.

He had not come out of the Library for weeks. His wings felt cramped and he was beginning to miss the cool scent and breeze the world outside offered. Nonetheless, he had to keep studying, he had to pass his Test, whatever it may be. He wanted to be a real soldier and contribute to the Host; he wanted to be a real soldier because that was the only way he _could_ contribute to the Host. Everyone else had the ability to contribute in a lot of ways in a lot of areas. Castiel, on the other hand, had been told that he barely possessed enough assets to qualify him a position as a soldier, but it was all he had to go on so he might as well take it.

He was about to start on a new book - one that gave an insight on human food ("What's food?" Castiel thought) - when a great burst of wind suddenly filled the whole Library.

Castiel saw that it was his brothers and sisters who had been racing each other outside, and apparently they had moved their race here. The combined shock wave of their flight had managed to knock him over to a wall beside his towering stack of books. His siblings did not seem to notice that he was there, or if they did, they were too absorbed in their own thrills.

It had been quite some time since Castiel had last been with a sibling up close, and from this distance, all of them appeared... brighter. It was as if passing their Test had enhanced them in some way, made their wings bigger and stronger and their light more amazing. Castiel just stayed where he was and stared at them in awe. He was going to be join them one day, be just like them.

Then, it came to him that his siblings zooming above him were beginning to seriously upset the interior of the Library: scrolls were flying away from their pedestals and books were being opened and having their pages ripped out by the intensity of the wind. Tablets were getting dislodged from their stands due to the extreme vibrations and a few of the windows were suffering from cracks. Shelves were toppling over one another and Castiel realized that he could get hurt here.

He tried making his presence known to them by giving out pulses from his Grace, but they remained oblivious. In the end, Castiel had no choice except to dodge everything that came his way. He was very successful at it, and for a while he believed that his siblings were about to leave and he only had to endure this for just a little longer. After a moment, he discovered that he was right as he watched their formation shift toward the direction of the exit. However, Castiel happened to be right in the path of the exit and it was with panic that he witnessed them coming straight at him.

Castiel protected himself as best as he could as his siblings carelessly whooshed past him. The rush and pull of air seemed to last forever and Castiel just wanted it all to stop. Eventually, it did stop, but as it did so, the sheer gust of wind that trailed behind his brothers and sisters brought an incredibly strong force, one that caused the mounds of reading materials around Castiel to fall on top of him. The whole thing had happened too fast and Castiel was unable to evade the collapse in time. The next thing he knew was that he was buried under innumerable books and pinned down by their weight, plus the fact that he was alone once more.

He tried wriggling out from under the books, but after a few attempts he learned that it was a futile effort. Castiel then tried to get his wings to unfold in the hopes that they could catapult everything above him; however, his wings were still far too soft and the tiny quivers he had managed to make with them only sent a few more large books and tablets to slide onto the pile.

This was bad. Castiel figured he could always remove the books using his powers, although when he tried doing that to a scroll lying in front of him, it did not budge an inch. Shocked, he tried doing the same thing to the tablet next to it, and the result was the same. This was really bad. Were his powers gone? Was this some kind of penalty for him not taking his Test much sooner? Were the Tests over and he had missed his?

As a last resort, Castiel projected a wave of distress toward any of his siblings who happened to be nearby. Unfortunately, it seemed as if his brothers and sisters who had been racing just a short time ago had already placed a considerable distance in between them. Notwithstanding that fact, Castiel kept at it in case another angel came within his very limited range. He hated that he could only communicate through short distances, and the growing anxiety within him was making his signals stutter and that much harder to send.

Where was everybody? Where were his siblings? He was desperately crying out for help and it appeared that there was no one around to hear him. He was starting to get very fretful. What if no one came for him? What if he was going to be stuck here forever? How could he gain a place in Heaven then?

"Hush, little one. I'm here now; I found you. Don't be frightened."

Castiel timidly looked up to see someone standing over him. He smelled of evergreen forests and lush flowery meadows and that put Castiel at ease for a bit.

"Hold still. I'll have these books off you sooner than you think." he assured.

Castiel did what he was told and felt the load on top of him lessen little by little. When he was able to get up, he did it slowly and cautiously met the face of the one who helped him. He did not look familiar, but it only took Castiel less than a second to realize who he was: Joshua, the one who took care of the Garden.

And he was big.

Being a fledgling, Castiel very rarely met the older angels, and whenever he chanced upon them, he was always struck with a blend of wonderment and fear. And right now, he was also struck with embarrassment. What kind of soldier was he if he could not even get himself out of a pile of books?

When Joshua offered a gesture to help Castiel right himself, Castiel merely shrank back in shame, his wings folding in around himself.

"It's alright, there's no reason to feel bad about yourself." said Joshua.

Castiel met his gaze before glancing away just as quickly. "Thank you for helping me," he said quietly, looking down.

The moment Joshua went nearer to him, Castiel's Grace began to shiver in response to his. Joshua's Grace felt as unmovable as a rock, but its radiance had an intricate pattern that closely resembled sunlight breaking through the foliage.

"I believe your name is Castiel; is this true?" Joshua asked.

Castiel hesitantly nodded.

Joshua smiled and knelt down to face him, an act that caused Castiel to retreat a tiny bit backward. "What are you doing here, Castiel?" he asked.

"Preparing for my Test." replied Castiel.

"You mean to say you haven't taken your Test yet?" There was no teasing or bite in his words; on the contrary, he sounded sympathetically curious. Still, that did not prevent Castiel from using his wings to start hiding himself again.

"What's the matter, little one? Are you nervous?" Joshua inquired, a laugh just at the end of his words, but there was concern there as well.

In a way, Castiel guessed that he _was_ nervous. But that was not the part that was really bothering him.

"Did they forget about me?" he shyly asked.

The reaction Joshua showed was either that of surprise or humor. "We never forget about our own family. What makes you think that?" said Joshua.

If Castiel had to be honest with himself, he would say that a lot of things had made him to think that way, one reason being that the superiors had thought that he was so limited in his abilities and therefore had nothing to contribute to the Host. Another reason was that the other fledglings had teased that he was so small hardly anyone noticed him.

Castiel had not been aware that Joshua had come remarkably closer until he felt Joshua tipping his head up to meet his gaze. "Castiel, how long have you been in here?"

That was a good question, and it was a question Castiel discovered he could not answer.

"I don't know anymore." he quietly replied.

Upon hearing that, Joshua placed some distance in between them as if to take in Castiel's whole form. "Well, this certainly won't do. A fledgling such as yourself shouldn't be wasting his entire time holed up with dusty old books for company." said Joshua. He got up and gestured for Castiel to follow. "Come, let's get those wings of yours stretched out, and a bit of fresh air might do you some good too."

Joshua was making his way out of the Library already while Castiel merely stayed where he was, totally unsure of what he should do. He really should get back to studying; his Test could come at any moment and he truly did not want to waste any time doing something tedious or pointless.

As he thought about it, his whole stay here had been tedious, and even kind of pointless. Maybe he should put off studying, at least for the moment.

Castiel hurried after Joshua just as he was crossing the threshold. Joshua smiled at him before he returned looking at what was ahead of him.

It felt nice to be out and about again. Castiel sensed his wings slightly opening up at the lack of walls pressing in on him, and all of a sudden he had an urge to fly. The last time he had took flight seemed far too long ago, when he had to retrieve a chart located on top of the highest shelf of the Library. The open space around him was so tempting the more he marveled at it, that coupled with the fact that the air was completely devoid of any angels made Castiel wish he could just take off.

But then... that could not be right. Where _was_ everybody? The skies of Heaven had never been empty before; usually, there was at least one of his siblings flying about. Come to think of it, where were _he and Joshua_? Castiel had never seen this part of Heaven before, and he thought that he had already been to every inch of it. Where were _they_?

"Do you want to know why you couldn't lift those books off you using your powers?" Joshua asked, breaking the silence.

Suddenly very interested, Castiel's attention switched to Joshua and he gave a nod.

"A spell was placed over the Library, one that prevented its contents to be affected by any supernatural powers. It has a long history in it, but it's basically to preserve the reading materials and discourage anyone from tampering with them and altering information." he explained. "However, I think the one who cast the spell forgot about _other_ variables, such as strong bursts of wind ripping pages off and causing things to fall over their little brothers."

Castiel felt himself go stiff for a second. "I'm not little." he muttered.

Joshua regarded him peculiarly before he let out a chuckle. "I never meant it like that. 'Little brother' just means that, in a group of siblings, you are younger. That also means that you have a lot of 'big brothers' who are older than you." said Joshua.

Castiel nodded, taking this information in. Little brother. It sounded... strange in his head.

They continued moving in silence for a while.

"What are your plans, Castiel?" Joshua asked.

"My... plans?" repeated Castiel, unsure what he meant.

"What do you want to do with yourself once this whole Test period is over? I certainly hope I wouldn't have to rescue you from an avalanche of books again." he said jovially.

"I'm going to be a soldier." answered Castiel straight away.

"Really? A soldier? That's certainly an interesting path, isn't it?" remarked Joshua. "Have you considered other paths though? Like joining one of the choirs perhaps?"

Castiel had thought about that, one time. But then he learned that he could not really sing all that well.

"No? What about a healer then?" Joshua pressed on.

Castiel had wanted to give that a try too, but then he realized that he did not want to see his brothers and sisters injured all the time.

"Maybe a messenger, like for the prophets?"

He had not thought about that, or at least not as much as he did with the others. That could be a good option, but then he would always be going back and forth and, really, he would not do all that much. He wanted to go to Earth and _do_ things there, and messengers frequently had very restricted activities. So no; the life of a soldier was the only thing calling for him, the only option he had left.

"I apologize for asking all these questions to you." said Joshua. "It's just that... loneliness can sometimes find its way in the Garden. I hope you understand."

Castiel did. He was lonely a lot of times too, like in the Library.

The silence established itself for a while again. Castiel wondered if they would be heading back to the Library soon; he still had much studying to do.

"I'm sorry, but I have one final question to ask you," said Joshua.

At that, Castiel looked up at him expectantly.

For a second, it appeared as if Joshua was having second thoughts about whatever he had to ask. "Have you ever handled a kitten before?"

TBC


	2. Part II

  
_It's when my world comes down_   
_You wanna change your little ways_   
_Tomorrow's another start_   
_But it looks like everyday_   
_You can't imagine how I wished that_   
_You could be the one_   
_Inside you were not the same_   
_But you look like everyone_   


_._

  
_It's like a tidal wave that rose to take the stars_   
_A hurricane that wrapped around my heart_   
_If I could find a way_   
_I'd make a brand new start_   
_I can't believe it was the calm that killed the storm_   


_._

_Anatomy of a Tidal Wave - Cold_

 

* * *

Castiel was staring at Joshua with severe bewilderment. "I... what?"

He knew what a kitten was - a few of his sisters had ever compared him to one, although he had no idea why they would ever do such an act, or why they would sometimes hold him in strange positions while doing so. Yet why would Joshua ask about it? Kittens had never been really considered with great importance in Heaven. To him, they were just another of their Father's many, many, many wondrous creations to observe, nothing more.

"I do apologize for dropping this unexpectedly on you, especially since I pulled you out of your studies. It's just that I suddenly remembered I'm having a bit of trouble in the Garden." admitted Joshua.

Castiel did not understand how a kitten could be related to a disturbance in the Garden. The Garden was filled with animals most of the time, all of them mere souls who should not be able to affect the Garden in such a way. However, now the oddness of the situation was piquing his curiosity.

"What kind of trouble?" Castiel asked.

Joshua appeared to be choosing his words carefully. "You could say that the very foundations of the Garden are under threat." he said.

That got Castiel's wings to flare out in surprise. "How can a kitten do that to the Garden?" he worriedly inquired. A kitten was such a tiny thing, whereas the Garden was so much _bigger_! How could a small creature make such an incredible influence over something so huge?

"There's more than one kitten involved actually." said Joshua. He turned to face Castiel directly. "Do you know anyone who could help me? I just need them to remove the kittens, and hopefully they could do the job fast."

Castiel was fast. He could do the job! "I can help you!" he proclaimed.

"Really? Are you sure you don't want someone else to do the task? You might want to return to your studies, after all." said Joshua.

Oh right, his studies. Maybe he should reconsider his offer. But they were just kittens anyway; he could catch them without a problem and be back to his studies in a short while.

"I'll do it." said Castiel more confidently.

Joshua was looking intently at him. "Alright. Thank you, Castiel; I honestly appreciate this." he said.

Castiel gave him his most firm nod, feeling like a soldier on duty already. "Which part of the Garden are the kittens exactly?" he asked.

At that, Joshua gave him a kind yet mysterious smile. "I'll take us there."

The next thing Castiel was aware of was Joshua cradling him near his Grace. While being in such close proximity to his aura, Castiel felt himself relaxing and his thoughts drifting like leaves in a gentle breeze. In a flutter of wings faster than light, they were gone.

O_x

When they landed, Castiel was a bit... alarmed at where they were. This did not look like the Garden at all; this place was so dim and cold and seemed as if there was not a single form of life anywhere. Where were the trees? The flowers? The fields? The light?

Had the kittens been responsible for this?

"Can you keep a secret, Castiel?" Joshua asked in the stillness.

Castiel became serious again and nodded.

After looking around, as if to truly make sure that they were alone, Joshua went down to Castiel's level. "You know how there are sometimes spaces in between two layers, like a tunnel or a cave tucked away by levels of soil?" he began. "We're in a kind of cave right now, the lowest point of Heaven and the highest ethereal peak on Earth. We're directly under the Garden as we speak."

Castiel could feel his Grace pounding with absolute interest. They were _under_ the Garden? This was unbelievable! He never imagined that such a place even existed! That explained the lack of vegetation and light, and as he looked more closely at their surroundings, he could now make out that the figures in the distance were roots of all sizes and lengths dangling from above.

"Very few angels know about this place, and for the sake of the Garden I hope to keep it that way." said Joshua. "I can trust you to keep this a secret, can't I?" he added.

Castiel nodded eagerly.

Joshua let a trickle of his Grace bless him and Castiel felt his job become that much more important.

"I suppose I really ought to let you do your job now. In all honesty, I would do it myself but..." Joshua trailed off with a chuckle. "But it seems that my size is scaring the kittens off into hiding before I can catch them. Not to mention that speed has never been one of my strong points," he added.

If the kittens were frightened off by the approach of someone big, then for once, Castiel was thankful for his size since that would make the task easier and quicker for him. "How many kittens are there?" asked Castiel.

"From what I have gathered, seven." Joshua answered.

Seven. He can handle that. This will be easier than he expected.

"Of course, there are a few things you must know before you go hurrying off," said Joshua. "First, as much as possible, please don't use your powers."

Castiel stared at Joshua in disbelief upon hearing that. No powers?

"I'm sorry, but the atmosphere here in this place is very delicate. Temperature, wind currents and surface texture must be kept exactly as they are. Should anything leave a mark here - even a tiny scratch that isn't caused by the natural surroundings - there will be a disastrous chain reaction above in the Garden. That's why I want the kittens removed immediately." said Joshua.

This could possibly make things more difficult.

"And I suppose you should limit on your flying as well, just to be safe.

No powers _and_ no flying? If Castiel did not know any better, he would say that Joshua was purposefully making him do this as a typical human. This was… absurd.

Joshua seemed to have sensed his thoughts and spoke up, "I really am sorry for just telling you all these now. No one's forcing you to do this, Castiel; we can always find someone else."

That was true enough, albeit he was already here and a chance like this was extremely rare. He will not pass this opportunity up; the fact that he was in this place made him feel honored. He felt good that he was needed and that his service was being greatly appreciated.

"No, I can do it! I _will_ do it!" Castiel proclaimed.

"Alright, Castiel, calm down. I'm not refusing you if you're willing." said Joshua.

Castiel flexed his wings, on the verge of taking flight when he remembered that he should restrain himself from doing that. The longer he stayed, the more the situation made him think, and while his mind was buzzing with options and alternative solutions, a question sprouted out of his thoughts:

"Why are there kittens here anyway?" he asked. Castiel suddenly had the vaguest idea of the kittens' souls ascending Heaven and into the Garden, but instead got stuck here in the middle. Or maybe they fell down a hole up in the Garden and resulted to being here.

"A couple of fledglings thought it would be entertaining to just pluck kittens out of Earth and have them as their own pets in Heaven. Apparently, the kittens are 'better that way'. They just placed the kittens here for safekeeping until they returned, which, unfortunately for them, will never happen in the future." Joshua answered, adapting a stern tone.

Castiel reminded himself to find out what the word 'pet' meant some other time. "So they killed the kittens so they can have them?" he frantically asked. How could his brothers and sisters do that to their Father's creations? Surely the kittens never did anything to deserve being smote merely so they could enter Heaven?

"What? Oh no, no, they never took the kittens' lives," Joshua began in a placating tone. When he continued, there was a sense of something in his voice that Castiel figured was uneasiness. "Technically, they took the kittens from Earth _as they are_. Meaning, well... we have _live_ kittens in Heaven."

 _Live_?

"But... that shouldn't be possible." said Castiel. "Right?"

Even without waiting for Joshua to speak, the fact that Castiel was going to do this job was enough of an answer. Still, this whole thing was a little unbelievable.

"This _is_ the lowest point of Heaven, practically at the edge of its edges, so some of the rules don't really apply." said Joshua.

Castiel nodded, taking it all in.

"Regardless, the kittens need to be removed. The only difference now is that your task has to be done with utmost care, Castiel. If the kittens somehow die here in Heaven..." Joshua paused, his Grace pulsing in deep thought. "Let's just say that it would greatly taint Heaven. There's a reason why mortal creatures die on _Earth_." he concluded.

Castiel stared at Joshua, stunned. He wondered if such a responsibility should even befall someone as inexperienced as him.

Before he could voice out his concerns, Joshua turned to a certain direction, as if receiving a message. "I must go. I'm being summoned in the Garden." he said. Joshua blessed Castiel's Grace once more in support and then departed.

Now alone, Castiel looked around his surroundings and wondered what he had gotten himself into.

O_x

Castiel had been scanning small patches of area for the kittens for quite some time already. If he had been a tad older, the sweep of his range would be much wider; however, at the moment, he had to be grateful for what he had. His ability to scan was the only thing he thought was safe but useful doing.

He kept his wings folded behind him throughout the whole search and they were starting to get cramped. He was not accustomed to folding them like what most of his siblings did. In turn, they would sometimes remark that his appearance was scruffy and messy. Castiel did not care though; he liked having his wings simply sticking out and now he missed it.

Of course, he knew that Joshua had said to merely _limit_ and not to abstain altogether. Castiel just wanted to play it safe, that was all – he certainly did not want to be held accountable for any accidents. Albeit, even without his flight, he was pleased that he still had the element of speed and precision.

He went farther and farther to the point wherein he was having difficulty recalling the path he had taken. He was not used to such a shadowy place, especially one that had near-repetitive features: roots trailing from above, fallen debris scattered about and a humming silence. Despite that, there was beauty in the place that left him awestruck. The thought that he was underneath the Garden made him feel ecstatic, and whenever his gaze would linger on a gigantic root, it took him more time to force himself not to get distracted.

As Castiel continued to search for the elusive kittens, his thoughts eventually wandered back to his Test. Were his reading materials still at the spot where he had left them? Were the superiors finally looking for him? Should he work faster? Or maybe slow down so he could save his strength?

"Meow."

Castiel immediately went still. There was no mistaking that sound: it was a kitten.

"Meow."

Using his Grace, he managed to pinpoint the kitten's exact location and he rushed off. As he was making his way, Castiel noticed some odd flowers starting to populate the ground. He had never seen anything like them before; they were dark and they all had their heads drooping to the ground, although they did not seem to be wilting. In spite of their bowed conditions, it was almost as if they were constantly watching him. Castiel took caution not to trample over any of them.

It did not take long until he reached the mewling kitten. The creature was a dusty gray color, and it truly was such a tiny thing that someone as big as Joshua would scare it off. The kitten was located above on a thick root, with a considerable distance in between it and the ground. In addition, the reason it was mewling so helplessly was that it was about to fall off.

Castiel still found it tricky to find the line that separated 'severely injured' from 'dead' when it came to mortal creatures. However, judging by the altitude and the fragile size of the kitten, he knew that he had to prevent to kitten from hitting the ground. The kitten was clinging onto the wood dearly yet its claws were not yet sharp enough and half its body was already dangling.

Castiel hurried to the spot directly beneath the kitten, ready to catch it should it suddenly let go. His wings almost extended for flight before he reined them back - if he flew, he would be making a big gust of wind simply to reach _half_ that height, a gust of wind that might prove to be damaging. Castiel searched for any surface he could use to elevate himself to the kitten's level, perhaps some longer roots that he could use like stairs.

He was still thinking of other options when the kitten's squirming finally caused it to lose its grip and fall.

In an act of quick thinking and instinct, Castiel exposed his wings directly at the path of the kitten and opened them just right to act as an appropriately wide net. Within seconds, he sensed the kitten's weight land on his wings. Castiel became unsteady for a bit at the unexpected force that met him before he regained control. For a moment, he could not feel the kitten moving and he feared that the fall might have killed it.

Then, he felt something sharp poke at his wings and Castiel was unable to suppress a cry of pain.

"Meow."

At least the kitten was still alive. But... how could it touch - let alone _hurt -_ his wings? Mortals should not be able to do that, alive or dead, humans or otherwise. They should not be able to perceive an angel's true form.

_"This is the lowest point of Heaven, practically at the edge of its edges, so some of the rules don't really apply."_

Castiel wished Joshua had elaborated more on what 'some of the rules' were. It would at least prevent him from being surprised or caught off guard all the time.

He felt the kitten's claws digging into his left wing and Castiel decided it was time that he took the kitten off him. After some squirming and with Castiel going around and around like a dog chasing its tail, he at last had the, now compliant, kitten in his hold. He had never held a kitten before, and he had no idea that they were this soft.

He wondered if it was normal for kittens to stare this intensely at whoever held them.

He tilted his head at it, as if to question its existence. What purpose did kittens bring anyway? Surely they had one since his Father created them, but _what_?

"Why?"

Castiel got startled at the sudden voice and almost dropped the kitten. He searched for the source of the voice but found no one and nothing there, save for a couple of the strange flowers he saw earlier. Was he starting to imagine things?

"Why?"

The voice sounded closer this time and Castiel quickly picked it up to trace its origin. His gaze landed on one of the flowers... and he was certain this time that it was _staring_ at him.

Castiel tried to test the theory out. "Why what?" he asked timidly the flower.

On cue, the flower twitched toward him, as if to better face him. "Why did you save the kitten?" it asked.

Castiel stole a glance at the kitten he was holding, partly to make sure that he had indeed saved it. "I have a responsibility to fulfill." he said, trying to sound like a soldier.

The flower bobbed up and down in a slight nod and said no more.

Castiel held the kitten tighter and went in search of the rest. One down, six to go.

TBC


	3. Part III

  
_So go on_   
_And I will refrain_   
_And I'll keep on running this never-ending race_   
_Maybe next time will be the right time_   
_And maybe next time will be your time_   


_._

_Save Your Scissors – City and Colour_

 

* * *

Over a short period of time, Castiel had learned a few things:

One: while he admitted that his wings were still (somewhat) soft, apparently mortal creatures found it much softer and much more enticing.

Two: kittens were equipped with unusually sharp claws.

Three: the kitten refused to let go of his wings for long.

Four: Castiel believed he was feeling what was called 'annoyance'.

To possibly speed up his search, he had attempted communicating to the flowers every so often – to ask if they had seen any of the kittens – although none ever responded to him or even so much as twitched to his direction. Castiel then had tried talking to the kitten; however, it just meowed at him and batted at his wings again. That left Castiel to search on his own once more.

He was beginning to regret volunteering for this job. If he had known just how _big_ this place was he would have dwelt more on the idea of passing this onto another angel. His belief of this being performed quickly was fading from him and he was really starting to worry.

Castiel pushed himself to persevere regardless. If he refused to fail his Test, he refused to fail this.

The gray kitten popped out behind him and made a small leap forward. Castiel barely managed to catch it before it could land and have the chance to scamper off. As a result at thwarting its freedom, the kitten dug its claws into him again.

Being buried under a pile of books was suddenly becoming more appealing.

" _Meow! Meow! Meow! Meow!"_

Castiel hurried to where the frantic meows were coming from. He did not even require the use of his powers; he simply had to follow his sense of hearing. The gray kitten's claws sank deeper into his wings, probably intimidated by the speed he was exerting. No matter, Castiel can handle the pain; he just wished the kitten would stop being so scared so it did not have to cling onto him this fervently.

When Castiel came across the second kitten, he was greeted by the sight of a tangle of large roots sitting on the ground. He hoped that this was just a 'natural condition' here and not destruction made on his part because he had been too late.

Underneath the tangle of roots was a panicking, mewling orange kitten which appeared to be struggling. It dawned on Castiel that the kitten was unable to free itself since a particular root – too heavy for the kitten to ever lift – was on top of its hind legs. It was stuck and if Castiel did not hurry, the rest of the roots on the pile will roll down and possibly squash the kitten.

" _Meow! Meow! Meow!_ "

Castiel rushed forward and started dismantling the pile with accuracy and care, since the last thing he wanted was to accidentally flatten the kitten and indirectly start wreaking havoc on the Garden in the process. In a matter of seconds, he had the orange kitten liberated, so he did not understand why it still kept meowing loudly.

He performed a sweep over it with his Grace but found no injuries on the orange kitten. What was the problem?

Castiel then felt something brush against him. He looked down and saw that it was another flower. "Why did you save that kitten?" it asked.

And just like before, Castiel's answer was automatic and resolute. "I have a responsibility to fulfill." he said with conviction. And while he was already conversing with this flower, he figured he should ask it his own question. "Do you know where the other kittens are?"

Castiel waited but the flower never spoke up again.

That was odd. Why did the flowers only talk when they were asking a question? And why _that_ particular question? Do they not know other words? Or were they merely curious?

Whatever their motives were, Castiel did not want to press on with them, mostly because he feared he would upset the already threatened balance of this place. When the orange kitten still did not show signs of standing up any time soon, Castiel picked it up and proceeded to find the other five.

O_x

Castiel was really getting annoyed, and it was not because of the futility his search had taken on.

The gray kitten absolutely refused to let go of his wings no matter how much Castiel tried to pry it off. The orange kitten, meanwhile, had yet to cease its shrill mewling and it was _really_ making him impatient, so impatient in fact that his usually calm Grace was sputtering out sparks.

Where were the rest of the kittens already?

As if sensing his distress, Castiel caught the barest glance of a little black streak scurry right in front of him, its size proportional to that of a kitten. He readjusted his hold on the kittens he already had and pursued.

Castiel would not dare admit that a kitten can reach a speed he cannot; he blamed it on the limitations he had been placed under, that he was purposefully holding most of his speed back because he did not want to inflict damage in this place. There was no way a kitten can be faster than him – besides, it had gotten a head start!

Ultimately, Castiel found himself closing in on the black kitten. Also, he eventually discovered that the kitten was heading straight for another tangle of fallen roots, albeit this time, the roots were comprised mostly of thorns than anything else. He realized that the kitten was unaware of the fact that it was going straight for danger. And if it kept running, it might not be able to stop itself in time from crashing into the thorns.

Castiel went faster and went around to overtake the black kitten.

Just as the kitten was mere seconds from skidding into the thorns, Castiel managed to swoop in at the right moment and felt his wingtips brush against the thorns ever so slightly. He forced himself to a (somewhat crashing) halt when the thorns were out of his peripheral sight, all the while shielding the kittens from the landing. Now that the danger was over, Castiel uncurled himself as the kittens began to act restless. The black kitten especially was endeavoring to fidget out of his hold, confused and panicky over what had happened.

Castiel kept them still as best as he could. That had been a close situation – if he had been late for even a millisecond... He looked back down at the struggling black kitten and gave thanks to his Father that he did not make any mistakes.

"Why did you save that kitten?" a flower beside him inquired.

Castiel had to catch the black kitten as it leaped out of his hold before he could answer. "I have a responsibility to fulfill, and..."

"And?" the flower pressed on.

And... Castiel had no idea where that add-on came from. He was doing this because it was his responsibility; was there another reason to save the kitten?

Although, the kitten _did_ come close to possibly injuring itself.

When Castiel noticed that the flower was still waiting, the just came up with whatever response he could. "And... Joshua's counting on me."

The flower bowed, and Castiel thought he had given a satisfactory answer because the flower did not ask another question.

As he got up to find the other kittens, Castiel could not shake off the feeling that he should have said something more.

O_x

Castiel did not think it was possible for his annoyance with kittens to escalate, but apparently it did.

The gray and orange kittens were a nuisance enough, though with the additional black kitten always trying to scramble and wriggle out of Castiel's already tight hold, he wanted to just smite something.

It was getting increasingly harder to push away the thought of smiting something small and furry.

He tried to calm down and clear his mind. He figured, if he had to think about something, it might as well be something productive. Castiel decided to review himself on his studies while he searched for the remaining four kittens.

He pictured sigil after sigil in his mind's eye, trying to brand every line, curve and corner into permanence in his memory. Castiel barely finished the second symbol when his Grace picked up on a kitten.

"… meow… me-ow…"

That did not sound good. He pushed the black kitten further down into his hold and actually even made certain that the gray kitten was firmly adhered to his wings before he hurried to where the fourth kitten was.

After a short time, Castiel arrived at what appeared to be a small lake, and right in the center of the body of water was a calico kitten.

The calico kitten was also drowning.

Castiel knew he had to swim across the lake in order to get to the kitten. If he so much as flapped his wings once, it would bring waves over the delicate surface, probably causing the kitten to submerge. He was curious as to how the kitten had wound up there in the first place though; the last time he had checked, kittens were not that fond of water.

Nonetheless, he had to get in there and rescue it. Castiel was about to step into the lake when he remembered that he still had three other kittens on him. Obviously, he cannot bring the three with him into the water, but he also needed to guard them, not to mention prevent them from disappearing once more. This was an infuriating dilemma.

If he stayed on land, the kittens he had already collected will certainly not run off and/or put themselves into any more danger, but then that would cause the calico kitten to drown. If he went into the lake, he would save the kitten from a watery grave, but at the expense of possibly losing the three kittens the moment he left them alone.

"...m'w..."

And that was it. With a bit of reluctance, Castiel put the gray, orange and black kittens on the ground. He let a little of his Grace leak out and surround them, so if one of them ever decided to escape, he would at least be alerted.

Castiel was fully aware that this rescue attempt will be trickier than the last ones; albeit, what he did _not_ expect was that the second he went into the water, he felt a great suction pulling him down. It was frightening revelation, and Castiel retracted himself on instinct. The strength of the suction would undeniably increase the further he went, much like a storm getting more violent the more he walked into it. Judging by the kitten's struggles, it seemed that the suction was nonexistent at the center – just like the eye of the storm being the calmest part – because, otherwise, the kitten would not be at the surface to begin with.

He was nervous now. He did not want to get pulled in and not be able to get up anymore. He did not want his light going out and the essence of his Grace slowly vanishing.

Castiel noticed that the calico kitten was no longer meowing.

The next second, Castiel pushed everything aside and made his way through the water. As expected, the suction became stronger, and he found himself struggling more. But more than anything, the part that was being affected the most were his wings. His disorientation increased the further he swam, and there were times when he wondered if he was still going in the right direction.

All of a sudden, when he supposed he was near the center, the suction was so powerful that he sank down, down, down. He never seemed to reach the bottom; Castiel wondered if there _was_ a bottom to this lake. The rush was unbelievable and he wanted to get out!

Then, he got his eyes to open, not that it helped much since there was nothing but emptiness in the depths. Though when he looked up, he saw that the kitten was still struggling at the surface, and it did not appear like it was able to stay there for long.

Somehow, that got Castiel to act, to try resisting the might of the suction. He expanded his wings and angled them in a style similar to whenever he would go against exceptionally strong wind currents. From there, he used that technique to stop himself from being pulled down. What followed after that involved him beating his wings furiously to fight the suction.

He will not give up. He _will_ be a soldier. He _will_ save that kitten.

Soon enough, Castiel burst out of the center of the lake, lifting the sopping kitten over his head.

Castiel was ready for the trip back to land; this time, he was determined not to be taken advantage of by the suction. He released a great propulsion... only to discover that the suction had mysteriously vanished and he had wasted all of that precious energy for nothing.

Perhaps not 'nothing'. He did manage to make it to land in a much faster pace. Upon getting out of the water, Castiel was thankful that the other three kittens were still in the spot he left them. He sent his quiet gratitude to his Father before allowing all poise to leave him as he clattered to the ground in exhaustion. Castiel heard the calico kitten hiss at him then wriggle out of his hold and join the rest in a pile of fur-balls; he could not be bothered to stop them from doing anything now.

He was wet and tired. He rarely felt tired; he loathed the sense of helplessness that accompanied it. But most of all, he felt infuriated, which was something rarer than the instances of him being tired. Castiel could not understand it; why would the suction disappear _only then_? It would have been a lot easier if he had not been dragged down to immeasurable depths. He would not have made such a fool of himself; he would not have been afraid.

Castiel summoned his recovering Grace and used it to dry himself. He could hear the kittens meowing somewhere beside him, and he remembered with aggravation that his job was not yet done.

"Later," he thought. "Rest first."

Castiel's moment of peace did not last long. Seconds later, he heard a familiar question being addressed to him:

"Why did you save that kitten?"

A flower was there; even without opening his eyes, he just knew it was staring at him.

Castiel was too tired to voice out an answer. Frankly, he did not know what he was doing anymore, what he thought of all this. It was... too complicated now. There was a number of reasons why he had done the deed: to be one step closer to being a soldier, to prepare himself for his Test, to keep the balance in Heaven intact, to implement his duty, to prove that he can do _something_ on his own...

Rest. He wanted to rest now. He will continue searching later.

O_x

The calico kitten disliked him, as shown by its frequent hissing.

Castiel wondered how he was still capable of walking what with all the small burdens he had acquired. The gray kitten was clinging onto his wings as if its very life depended on it. The orange kitten was perched upon his shoulder, meowing (which was extremely grating to Castiel by this time) to its heart's content. The black kitten was trying its best to squirm out of Castiel's hold and it was turning out to be a very wearing task. The calico kitten managed to maneuver itself the farthest region of his right wing, specifically, near the wingtip where the feathers curled.

If his brothers and sisters saw him in such a state, Castiel would never let it go. This was humiliating.

He had been trying to communicate with Joshua, in the hopes of relieving himself of the kittens he had already acquired. However, Joshua remained silent; in fact, Castiel could not even sense his Grace.

He trudged on regardless, and every once in a while he would mentally review himself on his studies. As time passed, Castiel became more distracted and gave up on thinking altogether.

His mind was nonetheless whirring, so much that he almost did not notice the fifth kitten off to the side. Castiel hurried over to it, and he considered it a blessing that the kitten – a black-and-white one – was not as active as the others. When he reached it, he discovered that the stillness was not so much of a blessing anymore: the kitten was lying on the ground, with something that looked like a lanky root wrapped around its neck.

It was being strangled.

Without a second thought, Castiel bent down to untangle the root. As it was removed, he pushed aside the obvious question of "How did the kitten get the root around itself?" and concentrated on making sure the kitten was alright.

Castiel tentatively nudged the kitten, but it did not show any sign of life. He nudged it twice, still nothing. He felt concern slipping into him. Just as he was about to let a bit of his Grace trickle out, the kitten stirred. After a few seconds, it lifted its tiny head and locked its gaze on his. Its eyes were blue, almost as blue Castiel's. He tilted his head at it, as if questioning the kitten how it got into this situation. Ever so slowly, the kitten returned the gesture at him.

"Meow." it said, and it was as if _the kitten_ was questioning Castiel.

"Why did you save that kitten?" asked a flower.

Castiel held the black-and-white kitten closer to him to inspect the damage on its neck; it was slightly deep but the kitten will be fine. Then, while being this close, the kitten rubbed its head at the side of Castiel's face, catching him off-guard.

"Why did you save it?" the flower asked again.

"Because, it was... being strangled." replied Castiel slowly. He just prevented the kitten from dying. Because of him, the kitten was not suffering anymore. "It didn't... look right." he added.

The kitten rubbed its head at him again. Castiel found himself smiling a little.

He began searching for the remaining kittens, feeling much lighter for some reason.

O_x

The black-and-white kitten had curled itself into a ball on top of Castiel's head, and for once he did not mind. It was making low rumbling noises above him; he did not know why the kitten was doing that but it was making him calmer.

He needed all the calmness he could acquire. The rest of the kittens were driving him to the breaking point again. The scratches on his wings were more energetic, the meows were officially incessant and the struggles were becoming harder to manage. At least he had _one_ kitten who behaved.

Just two more kittens; just two more kittens and this will be all over.

Castiel used his Grace to scan the perimeter, although his concentration was broken when the orange kitten suddenly came at his face and let out a long, loud meow. Irked, he pushed the kitten back to its usual place, and somehow he got the calico kitten riled up in the process, earning him a hiss and a bite to his wing. Castiel resisted the urge to throw them all off him and focused on finding the other kittens.

He scanned, and he eventually located the sixth kitten. As he made his way to it, the kittens on him - save for the black-and-white one - became agitated, causing their behavior to be one step closer to intolerable for Castiel. Nevertheless, he pushed on, even though now they were actually slowing him down considerably.

Finally, Castiel saw the kitten - a white one - in the distance. The problem, however, was that the white kitten was dangling at the edge of a cliff.

If lives were not depending on him, Castiel would have been in awe at the existence of a cliff in this place, not to mention curious about how deep the chasm went. But right now, he needed to act before that kitten fell to its death.

"Meow! Meow!"

The cliff was extremely narrow at the edge, which meant Castiel had to be careful in his approach. Unfortunately, with all the kittens on him, 'careful' was something hard to achieve. Castiel tentatively made his way to the white kitten, and about halfway there, the gray kitten ran its claws down the most sensitive region of his wings, making him jerk, stumble and nearly fall into the chasm.

"Please stop that." he said.

He moved a few steps forward, but then the gray kitten scratched at the same spot again. As a result, Castiel fell off the narrow strip of earth and just barely managed to grab onto the side of the cliff. He was dangling like the kitten he was trying to save now. His near-plummet into the chasm greatly disturbed the kittens on him, and they all unsheathed their claws to hold on tightly to him. Castiel whimpered for the first time in his creation due to the pain it brought him.

He considered taking flight, but if he unfurled his wings it might cause some of the kittens on him to fall. With effort, Castiel climbed back onto the cliff. The kittens on him were frightened now as they tried to clamber off him. As much as he wanted to get rid of them, he could not risk them accidentally falling into the chasm. He endeavored to keep them on him, earning him rebellious meows, deeper scratches and hisses. This new struggle was enough to put off his balance again.

After what seemed like forever, Castiel scooped up the white kitten and hurried back to more stable ground. Once he was certain it was safe, he fell to his knees and just enjoyed the sense of relief. His moment of security was short-lived; the second he went down, the gray kitten scratched at his back and the calico kitten came extremely close to his face to hiss at him.

Castiel had never been so angry in his life. He had been doing nothing but helping them and this was how they repay him?

A flower bobbed its head at him. "Why did you save - ?"

"Because kittens are so stupid and annoying they can't even take care of themselves!" Castiel snapped.

He doubted the kittens could understand what he was saying, but it was almost as if they got offended because, as one, they jumped off him and quickly ran away. When he realized what had happened, Castiel scrambled to recapture them but it was too late.

They were gone.

Castiel just stood there in a sort of stupor. He had lost them. All his hard work... for nothing. He would have to start _all over again_. At this rate, he would definitely miss his Test, he would never be granted a purpose, he would be a failure to the entire Host...

"Meow."

Castiel suddenly looked up to see that the black-and-white kitten was still perched on his head. Cautiously, he held it in front of him, as if to make sure it was really there with him. The kitten stared at him.

"Why didn't you leave like the others?" Castiel asked.

The black-and-white kitten tilted its head at him and made those rumbling noises again.

Castiel sat down on the ground and looked at his surroundings miserably. "I'm not worthy to be a soldier." he said. He was crying now.

The kitten rubbed itself against him, as if to comfort him.

The tears kept falling and his wings unconsciously curled around himself. "I should just find Joshua, tell him I'm not fit to do this." Castiel went on.

" _Meow_."

Castiel studied the kitten he was holding. "Were they your brothers and sisters?" he found himself asking.

The kitten gave him a steady look. "Meow."

Without meaning to, Castiel petted the kitten and it made the low, rumbling noise once more. He wondered what it was like to be in its place, to be injured and left behind by his siblings with only a stranger for company. He did not like the feeling at all.

"Meow." That sounded almost pleading.

This place was dangerous; this kitten's siblings could be in danger. If they perished, this kitten would be all alone.

Castiel got up, placing the black-and-white kitten on his head again. He wiped his tears away; his search was not over yet.

O_x

Vibrations ran in the Garden, causing debris to fall underground. Castiel dodged the falling rocks as best as he could, all the while keeping the kitten he had safe. Wherever the others were, he needed to be swift in his search; the presence of the kittens in this place was beginning to really take its toll.

"Meow!" the black-and-white kitten cried out in fright.

Castiel held it tighter and used his wings as an added shield to protect it. "It will be alright." he said resolutely.

He was moving fast, enough to evade the rocks and enough not to shock the kitten he was cradling. He can do this. He will find them, this he promised.

After speeding through what was already looking like a structural collapse, Castiel finally saw them - all six of them (gray, orange, black, calico, white plus a brown one) - flocked together and trying so hard to escape the falling rocks. They were quick but Castiel could easily see that they were getting tired and more confused. Soon, they will falter.

Castiel rushed over to them. He kept his gaze trained on the kittens in front of him, but he also paid close attention to where the rocks were falling, in case he had to make a hasty maneuver. He went left, slid right, leaped over a large boulder, darted left again, side-stepped to the right...

And, in a split-second, he saw it: a big rock on its way to squash the oblivious kittens.

He did not think anymore. Castiel extended his wings and took flight. He was fast again, faster than anything else. He instantly erased the distance between them.

Just as the rock was about to brush against the kittens' fur, Castiel dove into the narrow space, grabbed them and sped off. The kittens squirmed in his hold but he absolutely refused to let them go. Right now, finding a safe spot was his priority. Castiel kept flying until he neared the end of where rocks were falling. However, by this time, he was already severely battered by the boulders that even _he_ could not avoid. His wings were damaged and his Grace was flaring with pain. He could not shield himself appropriately because he was devoting all of that energy into protecting the kittens.

Finally, Castiel emerged from the downpour of rocks.

His landing was far from perfect, but what was important was that all seven kittens were alright. Slowly, Castiel unfolded himself, both to let the kittens out and because he hardly had the strength to presently do anything. The rocks had hurt very badly, his energy was depleted from the flying and he wanted nothing more than to rest... so much.

Desperately weary, Castiel lied down on the ground and closed his eyes. He did not care if the kittens ran off again; they were safe and that was what mattered. He needed to rest, heal...

A few seconds later, he felt light pressure on several regions of his form. Castiel opened his eyes and discovered that the kittens had curled up all over him: two at his back, three on his wings and two at his front. The black-and-white kitten had placed itself just below Castiel's head and it rubbed at him again.

What caught Castiel's attention the most was that they were all making that low, rumbling sound.

Castiel thought he should take them off him, but he liked the warmth they were giving him. Maybe they were thankful for him after all.

"Why did you save them?" a flower asked.

Castiel gave the kittens all over him a final look. They were resting now, just like him. They were here because of him; he saved their lives. "I didn't want them to get hurt."

He closed his eyes, not bothering to see the flower's reaction. He was tired, and so were the kittens. Castiel offered them safety while they offered him warmth; he could not ask for anything else.

O_x

"Castiel. Castiel, open your eyes."

Castiel did so, only to see Joshua kneeling in front of him. He made a move to get up but Joshua stopped him.

"Stay as you are. I don't want you disturbing your friends." said Joshua.

Around him, he noticed the kittens were very cozy in their places, and still resting. Castiel nodded and returned his gaze on Joshua, who was smiling kindly at him.

"What's going on?" Castiel asked.

"I'm here to tell you that... Great job, Castiel. You've passed your Test!" said Joshua.

Castiel stared at Joshua, bewildered. "But... I haven't taken my Test yet." he replied.

Leaning back, Joshua said, "I have a very large confession to make: these kittens weren't brought here by other angels, I did. And I'm also the one in charge of giving you your Test, which is to collect the kittens."

If there were not kittens on him, Castiel would be standing up by now. _Joshua_ put the kittens here? "This doesn't make sense." he said.

"What you've been doing here - all this time - is your Test. And you've done it well."

Castiel tried to comprehend Joshua's words. This was his _Test_? "This can't be my Test. Tests are supposed to be..."

"Challenging, a learning experience and a noble feat once you've accomplished it?" supplied Joshua. "Tell me, is your task here not any of those?"

Castiel thought about it, glancing at the kittens. Yes, his time here had been all of those. "Why did you lie to me earlier?" he inquired.

"I'm sorry about that. But, as with every Test, they're unannounced. That's how you truly know if a fledgling is ready." said Joshua.

A sense of frustration crept up Castiel as he nodded. "Then you weren't just passing by the Library,"

"Afraid not." said Joshua, sitting down.

Castiel shifted slightly. "So my Test was... to collect kittens?" He wondered what kind of life awaited him if this was his Test.

"Half your Test. The other half is to see if you can learn a lesson." said Joshua.

"What lesson?" asked Castiel, tensing.

Joshua smiled. "To value life. You may have noticed some flowers asking you questions. They're asking you what you've learned, what you consider important. You had seven chances to grasp the value of life, and in the end you've succeeded." he said. He leaned in closer and his expression became serious. "This is a very important lesson, Castiel. I don't know what the future holds for you, and I'm only following orders, but if Tests are preparations for what's to come... I can only conclude that something big is in store for you. Life shouldn't be taken for granted. You may have to work hard but preserving life is worth it."

Something big in store? _Him_? "Why kittens though?" Castiel asked instead.

A chuckle broke Joshua's earnestness. "You have to start somewhere." he replied.

The black-and-white kitten squirmed and made the low noise again.

"It's purring. That means it likes you." said Joshua.

"Really?" Castiel felt a smile forming. Then, he remembered something. "Do we have to take them back?"

"Yes, we must." said Joshua.

If Castiel was standing, his wings would be dropping now.

"But we can always do it later." added Joshua, as if detecting his grief. He stood up and blessed Castiel's Grace. "Once again, I'm proud to say that you passed your Test. Congratulations."

Castiel smiled and went back to resting. The sound of Joshua's wings were muffled by the purrs of seven kittens.

Fin (for this mini-story).


End file.
